Lately I’ve been spotting more and more of what I thought were golf carts on the road.
Families happily weaving around Fisher Island, Coconut Grove, Weston, Plantation, South Beach, from shop to restaurant and back home, in an open-air cart, without parking hassles or traffic woes.
The word on these is that they’re actually Golf Cars, better known as Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs) or Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) which can run on electricity or gas. LSVs and NEVs offer a variety of advantages, like low-cost and energy-efficient, convenient transportation. They're quieter, don't pollute and are fun!!!
However, before you run out and buy one, according to Ari Scott of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Commission, all LSVs have to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 500 in order to be permitted general on-road use.
This means they have to be equipped with “seat belts, headlamps, stop lights, turn signal lamps, tail lamps, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, polymer windshields, and VIN numbers.”
State and local governments, said Scott, are responsible for authorizing their use and deciding on what roads they may be used. In recent years, a growing number of states from California to Florida have passed legislation authorizing their general on-road use.
Here in Florida an LSV or NEV is authorized on any public street where the posted speed is 35 MPH or less, or the top speed is between 20 to 25 MPH. They also must go at least 20 MPH to be street legal, or it’s “back to the golf course” they go.
LSVs are economical too, starting at $1995 for a used, gas-using model. As you add more seating, and accessories such as custom paint, gun racks or cooler crates, they can soar to $10,000. Check out the local options at Southern Golf Cars.
LSVs are a growing part of everyday life here in South Florida. The more we understand what they are, the better general motorists can avoid sideswiping or smashing into who drives them.
No comments:
Post a Comment